How Is Your Walk

 I had not seen the young man for over a year. His hair was longer, and he grew some facial hair. We caught up making small talk. I asked him a question I have asked many people over the years, "How is your walk with Jesus?" 

He looked at me and said it has been better. I was deeply saddened to hear that. When I pressed a little deeper, he gave me a couple of challenges he faced recently. He was both disillusioned and angry with God at the same time.  I pulled him aside saying, "Let's pray about it." We walked away from the group of people around us to a private spot and prayed. When the prayer ended, he looked at me a little misty eyed and we embraced. Those are the memorable moments that fuel the fire in me to coach young men. 

When a person's walk with God suffers you can predict they will fall away into things that they should have avoided. Such people sit in the pews, in stadiums, on bar stools, in dark secluded rooms looking at obscene images on a computer screen. Professing believers living far beneath their purpose. 

Our walks with the Lord are vital. They are necessary if we are going to avoid the destructive pitfalls of temptations. This topic will not make for the next best-selling book nor draw the crowds for a sermon series. It is not that exciting. Not until you consider the profound adventures that await people who walk with God. Their lives are uncommon spiritually. They worship deeper, prayer passionately, and radiate a joyous countenance that is other worldly. Our walk with God is the most important thing in our spiritual life. To continually reorient ourselves to God and realign our hearts with His heart must happen habitually. 

This is not easy. It will not happen by accident. It will only happen by intentional acts of the will. Day in and day out. Bible reading and meditation. Prayer. Scripture memory. The continual passionate pursuit of God. These are the spiritual disciplines that keep us on track. Daily devotions. Time must be carved out of our schedules, sometimes sleep must be forsaken, and we must forsake the company of other people to keep company with God. 

I am surprised when I ask people how their walk with Jesus is going how few seem to be in a vibrant growing relationship with Him. Even people who are in public worship every week. While maintaining the outward expressions of faith, how many are spiritually bankrupt internally. They show up for public events while neglecting the all-important private times in the prayer closet. Sooner or later the internal deficiencies make people vulnerable and easy prey for Satan who seeks to devour. 

So, I turn the question on you. How is your walk? How is your private time with Jesus? Do you frequent the prayer closet? Do you make supplication in the secret place? Do you pour over the pages of scriptures to meet God? How is your passion for God and the things of God? Evaluate the effectiveness of your service if you are serving in some ministry? These are crucial questions that require some serious reflection. 

Maybe we can find inspiration from Jesus' example. Read and reflect on Mark 1:35. Even Jesus made time to distance Himself from the crowds for the purpose of maintaining His walk with God. How much more should we do the same? May we be inspired with an insatiable desire to meet with God and walk with Him daily. If your walk is not that great right now, let this be the catalyst for making some serious changes.